The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced five deaths of Alaska residents and 180 hospitalizations in the COVID-19 data update on Thursday. The deaths were that of a male Anchorage resident 80 or older, a female Anchorage resident in her 40s, a female Chugach Census Area resident in her 60s, a male Soldotna resident in his 70s and a male Soldotna resident in his 50s.
Along with the 180 hospitalizations diagnosed with COVID-19, there are 13 additional patients who are considered persons under investigation. 31 are on ventilators. The percentage of patients currently hospitalized in Alaska with COVID-19 is 15.7%.
In addition, the DHSS reported 863 new COVID-19 cases. 842 are resident cases and 21 are nonresident cases. Kenai reported 38 new cases, Soldotna 33, Kenai Peninsula Borough North 11, Homer 8, Anchor Point 5, Seward 4, Sterling 2, and Nikiski 1. Soldotna and Seward, additionally, each reported 1 nonresident COVID-19 case.
The current statewide alert level – based on the reported number of cases per 100,000 people over the past 7 days – is high (red) at 788.2, which is incrementally going down compared to the numbers reported several weeks ago. For boroughs and census areas: 26 areas are at the high alert level, including the Kenai Peninsula Region.
63.7% of Alaskans aged 12 and older have received at least their first vaccine dose. 58.5% of Alaskans aged 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. 49.1% of the Kenai Peninsula Region are considered fully vaccinated.